a wider view

ph and i have been talking alot about life, our life and what is important to us. one thing that keeps coming up is our desire to give chace as much exposure to the world outside of new york.

my parents did a good job of this with my brothers and i. we traveled alot when we were growing up. those trips, together as family, shaped who we are as adults. i strongly believe that this is exposure is why all of us left texas for other parts of the country and world.  our family trips were not always glamourous or fancy, but we didn't care. it did not bother us if we ate peanut butter and jelly for breakfast, lunch and dinner because that was all we could afford, we were in another country.  what we remember and still talk about today are the moments, the memories, the family time and the laughter. like the amazing candy store in london. or when during the performance of CATS, one of the characters came out into the audience and rubbed my dad's bald head. or how we were in the subway station in london and hear " hey, dr snyder." what one of dad's patient's in london? then there was the trip to st. barts for christmas. epic.  my grandfather trying to drive a moped with no shoes on and crashing said moped. i could go on and on about our family adventures traveling.

not only did our travels give us stories to share, but gave us an appreciation of other cultures and people. it showed that despite the faults of our country we are lucky to live in the united states, but that does not make us better than those who do not. we are not privileged because we are american. we are just people like those who live in france, egypt, greece, colombia or any other corner of the globe.

this is what i want to teach my son. that though we may speak different languages, eat different foods, or worship different gods, we are all just people. ph and i feel that the best way to teach him this is travel, to experience life outside of our comfort zone, to explore and learn, and be good stewards of the planet. this is what we have been talking about lately, and why we are seriously thinking about living abroad during the winter months. there are plenty of opportunities out there to make our own memories and family moments, and hopefully all learn something along the way.